Christopher Kennedy Lawford Keynote Speaker at 
Art of Recovery Expo 1:00 PM

The 5th annual Art of Recovery Expo will open its doors to the community on September 19, 2009, at the Phoenix Convention Center with a message of hope and help. The Expo is part of National Recovery Month and is free to the public.

Each year a variety of sponsors and exhibitors, everything from coalitions, government agencies and treatment organizations, set up displays at the Expo offering resources, education and hope. Exhibitor and sponsor packets are still open and organizations are encouraged to call or visit the Web site to find out how they can get involved in this great event. The Expo is one of the largest events supporting recovery organizations in Arizona each year.

This year’s presenting speaker will be Christopher Kennedy Lawford. Lawford, the first-born child of President John F. Kennedy’s sister, Patricia, and famous Rat Pack actor, Peter Lawford, is a former actor and bestselling author who struggled with addiction for many years. Sober now for 22 years, Lawford shares his personal story with others in his memoir, Symptoms of Withdrawal, in hopes of making a difference. He will share the same story with attendees at the Art of Recovery Expo along with additional insights into how he fought back against addiction.

The Art of Recovery Expo opened doors under the direction of founder Barbara Nicholson-Brown and her husband president Bill Brown. The couple, who faced their own struggles with addiction nearly two decades ago, started the Expo to reach out to addicts, recovering addicts and the community, and to help them find resources, education and hope.